Manchester City vs Brighton – Match preview and team news
Manchester City welcome a high-flying Brighton to the Etihad Stadium this weekend.
The Premier League champions have the opportunity to break into the top four with a win this afternoon. Pep Guardiola and his players are two points behind fourth-place Chelsea, who travel to Arsenal on Sunday.
City’s current defensive options lack depth due to injuries. Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake and John Stones are all out with long-term issues, with the latter missing out on Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad as a consequence.
Ederson 🤝 Haaland
⏮️ Our 2022 victory against Brighton 💪 pic.twitter.com/4NWjFbe6ce
— Manchester City (@ManCity) March 14, 2025
Oscar Bobb hasn’t appeared since the Community Shield match against rivals Manchester United in August due to a broken leg. The 21-year-old is being eased back into action with the development squad.
Brighton can surpass today’s opponents in the table, but they’ll have to achieve something unprecedented. In seven attempts, the Seagulls have never won at the Etihad. In fact, the last time the club picked up even a point away to Manchester City was way back in 1982, when they drew 1-1 at Maine Road.
Fabian Hurzeler isn’t able to depend upon his captain for the trip to Manchester. Lewis Dunk is recovering well but isn’t expected back until after the international break. Matt O’Riley is still struggling with a knee problem and the midfielder will also consider the forthcoming two-week break as a window to regain full fitness.
Manchester City vs Brighton – Match preview and team news
Form
Manchester City: LLWWL
Manchester City’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League took a blow last weekend as they lost to Nottingham Forest.
Callum Hudson-Odoi netted the decisive goal of the contest in the closing stages to take third-place Forest four points clear of City.
Their ninth league defeat of the season equalled their most losses in a campaign under Pep Guardiola.
The last time they recorded nine defeats was in the 2019/20 season. Liverpool lifted the title that year and the outcome this time could follow suit.
Brighton: WWWWW
Brighton have found their groove under Fabian Hurzeler and have collected the maximum reward from their last six outings.
Two of those victories have come in the FA Cup, which has booked them a quarter-final tie with Nottingham Forest.
Last weekend, a 98th-minute penalty from Joao Pedro helped them overcome Fulham in dramatic fashion.
With it looking likely that England will be allocated five Champions League spots, Brighton have a realistic chance of qualifying for Europe’s elite competition for the first time in their history.
Last Meeting
Brighton 2-1 Manchester City, Premier League, 9th November 2024
Brighton staged a late comeback in the last encounter to beat a vulnerable Manchester City 2-1 on the South Coast.
The visitors were in the midst of a tough spell after losing three games on the spin.
However, they looked back to their best early on and took the lead midway through the first period.
Mateo Kovacic’s defence-splitting pass found Erling Haaland who struck directly at goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. Despite the Dutch stopper and Jan Paul van Hecke’s best efforts, the Norwegian managed to force the ball over the line, with the help of the crossbar.
Moments after the woodwork had come to his aid, a combination of Verbruggen and the post denied Haaland a swift second.
The hosts were much improved after the interval and began to pose a threat to Ederson’s goal. Jack Hinshelwood’s connection with Pervis Estupinan’s cross was solid, but his header was straight at the Brazilian.
With 12 minutes remaining, Fabian Hurzeler’s side restored parity. A desperate scramble inside the box was poorly dealt with by City. Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol both failed to clear their lines and Joao Pedro was perfectly placed to apply a finishing touch.
The reigning champions then crumbled under the growing pressure and conceded again minutes later.
On his Premier League debut, substitute Matt O’Riley was the hero. Pedro was influential in the move, as he slipped in the Dane who calmly slotted past Ederson.
Demoralised by the Brighton comeback, Pep Guardiola’s side couldn’t respond and fell to their fourth successive defeat.
Predicted Lineups
Manchester City: Ederson; Lewis, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol; Gonzalez, Kovacic; Savinho, Marmoush, Doku; Haaland.
Brighton: Verbruggen; Hinshelwood, Van Hecke, Webster, Estupinan; Baleba, Wieffer; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Joao Pedro.
Who is the referee?
Simon Hooper will be the match official. Adrian Holmes and Simon Long will assist him while Anthony Taylor will be the fourth official. The VAR will be James Bell and he will be assisted by Nick Hopton.
What TV channel is Manchester City vs Brighton on?
Manchester City vs Brighton will not be available to watch live in the United Kingdom.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off at the Etihad Stadium will be at 15:00 GMT on Saturday 15th March 2025.
Manchester City vs Brighton Match Odds
Manchester City: 7/10
Draw: 10/3
Brighton: 10/3
Read – 5️⃣ spicy fixtures you must watch this weekend 🌶
See more – The best England XI of players omitted from Thomas Tuchel’s first squad
Follow The Football Faithful on Social Media:
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok
-
Manchester City vs Brighton – Predicted lineup and team news
Manchester City welcome Brighton to the Etihad this afternoon with both teams in contention for Champions League qualification.Pep Guardiola’s side can climb into the top four with a win, with ...Yahoo Sports - 4h -
Manchester City vs Brighton and Hove Albion (Premier League): Match Preview, Team News, Stats, Head to Head, How to Watch
Manchester City return to action back at the Etihad Stadium against Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend in the last fixture before the March international break.Pep Guardiola and his players are ...Yahoo Sports - 20h -
Predicted Starting Line-Up: Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion (Premier League)
After another full week off from action, Pep Guardiola’s men return to the Etihad Stadium this weekend to face an in-form Brighton & Hove Albion.The Premier League champions produced a somewhat ...Yahoo Sports - 17h -
Have Manchester City suffered an injury blow ahead of pivotal Brighton clash?
Manchester City take on high-flying Brighton today in a pivotal Premier League fixture for both teams. Both teams are in the race to secure Champions League football for next season. Today’s match ...Yahoo Sports - 12h -
Brighton XI vs Manchester City – Predicted lineup and team news
Brighton travel to Manchester City this afternoon hoping to extend their impressive winning run.The Seagulls have won six straight games in all competitions, a club record as a top-flight side. ...Yahoo Sports - 4h -
Manchester City Starting XI vs Brighton: Confirmed Team News and Predicted Lineup
Manchester City Face Defensive Crisis Ahead of Brighton ClashManchester City’s push for Champions League football faces another stern test as they prepare for today’s Premier League showdown again...Yahoo Sports - 1h -
City's new goal: Pep says top four a 'success'
Pep Guardiola has said that qualifying for the Champions League would make Manchester City's season "a big success."ESPN - 4d -
Man City in Brighton test as Arsenal face Chelsea clash
Manchester City face a crucial clash with Brighton as the pressure mounts in the race to finish in the Premier League's top four.Having finished as runners-up to Manchester City in 2023 and 2024, ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Manchester City and Pep Guardiola handed major Oscar Bobb boost ahead Premier League and FA Cup run-in
Oscar Bobb featured in an EDS fixture earlier this week in a major availability boost to the Manchester City first-team, Pep Guardiola has said.Bobb suffered a leg bone fracture in the days that ...Yahoo Sports - 2h
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Four-star edge rusher to visit Georgia football
Georgia is set to get an official visit from elite four-star edge rusher Dre QuinnYahoo Sports - 25m -
Kristin Juszczyk posts an emotional video after Kyle Juszczyk re-signs with the 49ers
Kyle Juszczyk is back with the San Francisco 49ers and his wife Kristin celebrated on Instagram.Yahoo Sports - 28m -
Ohtani hits home run in Dodgers' Tokyo exhibition game
Shohei Ohtani fever in Tokyo reached boiling point Saturday as the Japanese baseball superstar hit a home run in his first game in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform in his home country.But it was his ...Yahoo Sports - 29m -
Porter inherits talented West Virginia RB room
West Virginia has a new running backs coach, in the experienced Larry Porter. Porter, a 27-year coaching veteran, came to Morgantown after previously serving as the running backs coach and special ...Yahoo Sports - 29m -
Mekhi Becton to Chargers: Lineman joins LA after his Super Bowl win
Mekhi Becton had his best season as a pro in 2024Yahoo Sports - 29m
More in Sports
-
Michigan State vs. Wisconsin odds, how to watch, prediction, free 2025 Big Ten Tournament semifinal picks
SportsLine's proven computer model has revealed its best bets for Wisconsin Badgers vs. Michigan State Spartans Saturday on CBS and streaming on Paramount+CBS Sports - 20m -
2025 Players Championship purse, prize money: Payouts for golfers, winner's share out of $25 million pool
The biggest prize fund of the PGA Tour's season is up for grabs this week during its signature event at TPC SawgrassCBS Sports - 21m -
UFC Fight Night odds, predictions, time, Las Vegas card: Vettori vs. Dolidze 2 free picks by proven MMA expert
SportsLine's Daniel Vithlani reveals his picks for the UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs. Dolidze 2 fight card from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on SaturdayCBS Sports - 24m -
Four-star edge rusher to visit Georgia football
Georgia is set to get an official visit from elite four-star edge rusher Dre QuinnYahoo Sports - 25m -
Men's Bracketology: UNC is still in, plus more updates from a busy Friday
It's going to be a weekend-long debate: North Carolina, with good metrics and few quality wins, versus Texas, which has plenty of really good wins but a so-so record.ESPN - 27m